What a Gift
by Maxie-A
Summary: "Honestly, Link was something else." Modern AU, Doctor Shad, Farmer Link. Christmas fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Haven't quite gotten to the Farmer part, but it's a process. Modern AU, anybody? Oh yes.**

* * *

Shad had come to love working at a clinic much more than those large hospitals in the city. This small village needed a capable doctor, considering that it was mostly compromised of farmland, which meant many people came in due to fatigue. Shad was more than willing to help these hardworking people, and if he were to be honest, it was nice being able to work for a small village because of how easy it was to become friends with everyone. He meant that in a literal sense, as well, as he can remember the name of each and every villager, remember their occupations, their habits, their diet (which was rather important for him to know), and in general, he was rather close with everyone. It was peaceful, everyone was looking out for everyone, there were many wonderful holidays to celebrate together, and all in all, Shad couldn't be any happier.

Well, maybe it did get a little depressing every now and then when you begin to realise that the people you meet on a day to day basis are only around because they've either caught some sort of illness or are fatigued. He had expected that, of course, so he can't really complain, but it would be nice to get a friendly visit from a pal once and a while, just for the heck of it.

As he was contemplating over this, the front door opened, the bell lightly chiming, sounding different, somehow. Maybe one of his employees changed it, recently?

He look over from his desk, through the door to the receptionist/waiting room, and saw a man, maybe about his own age, with dirty blond hair and a rather wolfish smile, wearing slightly dirty overalls and thick brown gloves. What stood out wasn't how handsome he was, although Shad most certainly wouldn't deny that, but the fact that he seemed to have a rather nasty cut on his cheek, seeping blood. Shad quickly ran to the waiting room, took hold of the boy, ran back in, and sat him down into a separate room from the other patients.

"I apologise for being sudden, I don't believe we've met, but I'd like to treat your wound as soon as possible, please."

The man simply gave him another wolfish smile, and Shad was beginning to believe it was somewhat his trademark. It was strange, really, that someone who had a, no doubt, incredibly painful cut running diagonal across his cheek to be smiling as if everything were perfectly okay. Anyone else would be possibly crying, or had a very annoyed expression. This lad, however, didn't mind the pain at all, and as Shad worked to both disinfect and clean the wound, then patch it up with a few stitches, the man didn't even flinch. He kept smiling, not too wide as to effect Shad's work, but enough to show that he was rather calm and, if anything, pleased.

"My name is Shad. I'm a doctor who has been working here for a year and a half, now," he said, eye carefully trained on his needle.

The man gave a thumbs up, probably not speaking because there was a needle threading through his face. Understandable.

"Are you new here, by any chance? Thumbs up for yes, down for no."

The man thought for a moment, before shaking his thumb up and down in a "so-and-so" motion.

"I see, so you've been here before, but you only just came back recently?"

A thumbs up. Shad nodded.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, then. I hope we can become good friends."

The boy quirked his mouth on the opposite side the doctor was working on, which nearly went unnoticed, and Shad smiled, finishing up his work.

"All we need to do is put a good bandage on that and you can be on your way. The wound wasn't too bad, it seems to have stopped bleeding, but you need to be more careful, now. Pray tell, whatever did you do in order to get that gash?"

The man though for a moment, smiled, then shrugged.

"Ah, does it hurt to speak?"

He shook his head, and began moving his hands in a small series of gestures. He opened his mouth slightly and pointed inside, showing that, oh goodness, his tongue seemed to have been missing. In other words, he was mute. That would explain his silence.

"I see... I don't know much sign language, but I'll make an effort to learn some in case we meet again. Ah, would you mind, possibly, writing down your name?"

Shad took out a form, handing to the other.

"And it'd be best if you fill out the other details, as well. As the doctor, I need to have a good knowledge of the villagers of this town, so it'd be nice to know your occupation, date of birth, the sex you were originally assigned with at birth, and any other past medical history such as major surgeries and the such. Oh, and allergies, if you have any. And possibly— ah, I'm rambling. In any case, just to be safe, please fill the form as best as you can."

The man nodded and once again quirked his mouth into a lopsided smile, then quickly began filling in the form. Shad was surprised by how quickly he had gone through it, watching his hands move swiftly, and he wondered how his handwriting was so neat. Shad himself had the typical "doctor's handwriting," as he used to work in a rather large hospital and was forced to rush quite often. This lad didn't seem to be rushing, he just seemed naturally quick with his hands. After he finished, he handed the paper back to Shad, gave a short, playful salut, and left the clinic. A pleasant goodbye without a single word.

Shad looked down at the paper. Link. That was his name. A somewhat strange one, at that. He doesn't believe he's ever heard that one before, nor did he know Link could even be a name in the first place, not that it was a bad thing. It gave the feeling of something short, simple, and honest. Maybe a tad mysterious too, because it begs to question; why was he named that? What prompted his parents into thinking that up? In any case, it suited the man rather well, Shad supposed.

Shad didn't completely realise it until a little while later, but he felt a tad happier after the short visit from the ever silent Link. Possibly because although he did, in fact, come in with an injury, he didn't seem too fazed by it and was actually rather pleasant company. He was calm, and that helped Shad feel less panicky about the people around him getting hurt. He loved helping people, of course, but he also dreaded visits at times because of the idea of the people he cared about getting hurt. He most certainly expected this to happen once he moved to the small village, of course. He knew that he would become friends with everyone in the village, and that he'd get frequent visits.

Frequent visits...

Did he forget to tell Link to come by again tomorrow?

Ah, he did, didn't he? He wanted to make sure the wound would hold up fine. He looked down at the form again and read the address, and occupation. There didn't seem to be a phone number, nor an emergency contact list, strangely. Was there a possibility the lad didn't have a phone? That could be somewhat of a problem, but it was a rather peaceful village. Shad doubted there would be many emergencies in which a phone would be needed. Still, it was a tad worrisome, as that meant Shad would have to drop in unannounced, which felt rather rude, but it couldn't be helped, could it?

* * *

Shad stretched, leaning back in his chair. It wasn't too much of an active day, though he wouldn't call it boring. A few family members came in to wish some of his patients a merry Christmas Eve, which was rather pleasant. And Link's visit was something new. However, it wasn't nearly as hectic as he expects the New Year's day to be. He's rather prepared for that day, actually. Children always somehow find ways to get their hands on something dangerous, be it in the city or here in the peaceful village. In his first half year, he had seen how particularly wild the children of the village could be on this particular holiday. He had a little hope that they had learned their lesson from last time, but he sincerely doubted it.

"Doctor, you sure you don't want to come to the Christmas party tonight?"

Shad snapped out of his thoughts and looked over to the young intern, head sticking into the clinic through the front door.

"Ah, yes, I'm rather okay here. I don't do very well with parties, anyways. I'd probably just sit in the corner and read a book, or something."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I used to be like that too. Well, I won't force you. Have a good night, and happy holidays!"

"You too, Dylan!"

Shad waved and flashed a small smile, then sighed once the intern was out of view. Here he was, worrying again. He supposed he did, in fact, needed to learn to have fun every once and a while, but parties were definitely not going to change anything. Crowds made him rather uncomfortable. Maybe that's why he moved away from the city...? Well, how should he know. It was a rather impulsive decision that he doesn't feel the need to analyse.

There a was small knock at the window beside him, and the doctor nearly jumped out of his seat, looking over and seeing Link, smiling under the rays of moonlight, making it seem even more wolfish than ever. He held up a finger, telling the doctor to wait a moment, and his other hand reached into the bag slung over his shoulder. After a few seconds of rummaging around, he took out a few pieces of paper and unfolded them. He placed one onto the window, and Shad smiled.

" **Happy holidays, Doctor. And thank you for patching me up.** "

"You're welcome, Link. And thank you, as well."

The man smiled and switched out the paper with another one.

" **You wanted me to come back tomorrow, right?** "

"Indeed, I did. I forgot to tell you, so I was going to visit you instead. Er, it might have been rude, because of the holiday, but I thought it would be necessary. How did you know?"

Link laughed and flipped the paper to the other side.

" **Intuition.** "

Well, he was certainly prepared for this conversation, it seemed. Shad chuckled, and Link switched out the paper again.

" **Are you doing anything tonight?** "

"Ah, no, not really. I'm simply here to watch over the two patients. One's sick, and the other recently broke her leg. So close to Christmas, too, it's a pity..."

Link nodded slowly, looking at his next page of paper and contemplating for a moment. He bit his lip, not necessarily frowning, but not smiling either, which Shad realised wasn't something he'd think he'd see so soon.

After a minute or two, Link switched the paper he was looking at with another one, placing it flat onto the window.

" **Could I come in?** "

Shad chuckled and nodded, standing up and going over to the front door, since it could only be opened from the inside, and letting in the silent man. A cold chill escaped into the room as Link quickly came in, hand grasping over Shad's to quickly close the door. Shad raised an eyebrow, but saw Link looking over to the door that led to the hall, and smiled. The boy didn't want to patients to get cold, it seemed.

"You know, you're not exactly wearing the best attire for the season, old boy. You could get sick, and rather easily, considering just how cold it is..."

Link looked down for a moment, at his worn down green overalls and short-sleeved brown shirt. He wasn't even wearing those soft boots that every other farmer in the village were wearing. No scarf, either, or hat, or earmuffs. He was fairly unprotected against the cold wind. Link looked back up and gave a small, sheepish smile, but seemed to quickly get over it and walked over to sat down in a chair in front of the receptionist desk. Link grinned at the doctor and patted the seat next to him, which Shad happily took.

"So, Link, I still don't know how exactly you got that cut."

Link lost his smile for a moment, not entirely frowning, really, but most certainly not smiling, either. Shad wondered if Link actually had the capability to physically frown, at the moment, which was why he wasn't expressing it. Or, maybe he was just like this. Shad wasn't completely sure.

With a sigh, Link took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it, handing it to the other. He really _was_ quite prepared, wasn't he?

" **I got distracted while holding some new tools I bought, and I tripped.** "

"This sounds like a fake story."

Shad laughed, along with Link, who reached over and flipped the paper.

" **I know.** "

Well, he supposed that his answer would be expected. It really did sound fake.

Link gathered up his small pieces of paper and straightened them out, then flipped through them, looking for one in particular. He made a small sound when he found it, quickly handing it to the doctor.

" **Could we be friends?** "

This was a surprising question. Shad couldn't think of the last time someone flat out asked him that. Adults, he supposed, could be complicated in that sense, considering they weren't ones to ask such questions so bluntly. It was always a slow build, expecting others to understand what you're getting at. Link was honestly something else, wasn't he?

"I was under the impression that we were already becoming quite good friends. I think your company is quite pleasant."

Link nodded, seeming to agree.

"Well, then, I'd say we're friends. It's official now. You can stop by any time Link; and not just for health reasons."

Link laughed and nodded, keeping it quiet, however. The patients were probably sleeping by now, and it was getting a bit late. Shad frowned as the moon rose higher into the sky, and dark clouds quickly rolled closer from over the horizon.

"Link, you don't perhaps have any plans tomorrow, do you? It's getting rather dark, and I believe it might snow tonight. They seem heavy too, it might snow the clinic in..."

Link once again lost his smile, looking over at the sky outside. He leaned back in the chair, not seeming to be too troubled by the clouds rolling in. If anything, he seemed a bit entranced. After a few moments, the lad took a pen from the desk and slipped a small notepad out of his pocket, quickly jotting down his thoughts, and handed it to Shad.

" **I love the sky, and I love clouds. I can't help but watch them, even if most people don't like rain or snow. Before I became a farmer, I had wanted to be a photographer.** "

"Is that so?"

Shad smiled, turning to the other.

"That sounds rather wonderful, actually. I don't know many people who actually enjoys cloudy skies."

Link smiled and took the notepad again, quickly writing, and handing it back.

" **Clear skies are boring. They're just blue. Clouds gives it life.** "

Before Shad could respond to that, Link took it once again and added some more.

" **Clouds move. They have definition. One side becomes painted with red in the sunset, the other a dark shadow.** "

And once again, he added more.

" **They come in many forms. Wispy tufts, smeared across the blue canvas, big and fluffy. They're beautiful. I love winter.** "

Shad nodded, somewhat taken aback by how passionate Link seemed to be over the sky. Shad himself was rather fond of the sky, for many reasons. He smiled, remembering an old memory.

"I completely agree with you, old boy... The sky is wonderful. My father, who was a fighter pilot, would tell me quite enchanting stories when I was young. He talked about a kingdom that floated above the clouds, ruled by a race that was closer to the gods than us humans. He told me they had beige feathers and red eyes. Back then I thought that was his description of angels, but nowadays I'm not so sure. In any case, I grew a soft spot for the sky. I tried to make my own flying contraptions as a kid, and I still make little figurines now and then as a hobby."

Link was very attentive, and it made Shad feel rather happy. Considering he was known to ramble, he found himself in situations where he wasn't sure the listener was really... _willing_ to be a listener. Link, however, had an expression that showed how engrossed he was in the conversation. Shad supposed that because of Link's muteness, he voiced his opinions through his expressions more often than not. Which was quite comforting, to say the least.

"The sky is something I dream of often. My father was kind of crazy, since he actually believed in these sky beings, and I did for a long time as well, but I loved him and I loved his stories, and they stuck with me. I still dream of the sun setting over the horizon and a beautiful city floating, encased in clouds, hidden from the view of the outside world."

Link got excited for a moment, which was rather evident because he bounced on his chair and flapped his hand a bit, and quickly wrote down his thoughts, showing the other.

" **Do you think the clouds were painted red by the sun? Light filtering ever so slightly through little cracks of this cloud barrier, shining elegantly across a lake suspended into the sky, or onto a castle?** "

Shad was surprised by how beautiful Link's imagination seemed to be. He would be an excellent writer if he wanted to be, Shad thought.

"That sounds perfect. Maybe _both_ a castle and lake?"

Link flapped his hand again for a moment, then quickly wrote again, this time his writing getting a tad bit sloppy. Shad was surprised by how interested Link was of this story. Maybe he believed it to be real? Probably not, but even if he did, Shad didn't find himself feeling much against that. Maybe he, himself, still held a little hope that it existed.

" **A waterfall, maybe? A waterfall next to a large castle, nearly every inch covered in thick green vines, surrounded by a meadow. Impossibly large birds sleeping comfortably on the branches of trees that stretch high into the atmosphere, large, sweet budding flowers. An island floating above the ocean, maybe?** "

Shad never really thought of anything like this. He had always imagined the kingdom in the sky to be somewhat civilised, buildings like those of either Russia or England. He had never thought that, possibly, the buildings could have been taken over by the environment, that possibly the people of the sky may no longer be there, that only remnants remained. Ruins taken in by mother nature herself, turned into something beautiful. Shad supposed being raised in the city was to blame. He had learned only of the future, how people talked of new technology almost every waking moment. Link was very different. His heart most certainly lied within the forest. A child of nature, Shad's father would call him.

"You know Link, your imagination is absolutely beautiful. I'd love to hear, or, I suppose, _read_ more of your thoughts. It's drastically different from mine, and it's rather refreshing."

Link smiled and tapped his pen to the notepad for a moment, then when he thought of what to say, he quickly jotted it down.

" **Opposites attract, I suppose? That's the phrase, I think.** "

"Indeed."

Shad chuckled softly, and slowly, wind seemed to knock on the clinic windows. Gently at first, but it quickly became apparent that it would simply grow harsher. Shad worried his bottom lip, wondering if it would be safe to let Link go back home, now. Probably not, and he most certainly couldn't have the old boy getting hurt.

"Link, there's many beds here. Are you alright with staying a night? It would be dangerous to go out, now, especially with those clouds rolling in. Not to mention it was dangerous to begin with considering how underdressed you are."

Link chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, nodding in agreement. He jotted down some more.

" **Should we do something about the windows so they don't wake up the others?** "

Shad wondered what exactly they could even do about the windows. Link was probably asking if there _was_ , in fact, anything to do. Which it seems as if there isn't, sadly.

"Well, I have no idea how we could stop the windows from rattling. The best we can do is probably try to block off the sound, somehow."

A quick swipe of Link's hand.

" **Music?** "

Shad raised an eyebrow.

"Now, wouldn't that just be creating more noise?"

Link shrugged, writing down some more.

" **Maybe. Better than banging windows, though.** "

Well, Shad couldn't exactly argue with that. So, he walked to the other side of the desk, taking out a small CD player, and sifted through the small CDs that the clinic had. Shad knew the employees enjoyed some music to fill in the awkward silence at the clinic, so he usually brought some classical music. None of the loud orchestras with highs and lows, like birds in flight, but the more calming and slow pieces, mostly because it was the type of classical that nobody had a problem with.

He heard Link scribble something down and looked down at the notepad that was lightly tossed onto the desk.

" **Do you have Clair de lune?** "

"You like classical?"

Link shrugged and smiled. Shad didn't find himself that surprised, but still, it was unexpected.

"Well, I think I should have it somewhere in here... Ah, yes, Claude Debussy. On repeat, this should probably help drown out the rattling."

Link nodded and watched the doctor place the CD in, first keeping the volume low. A sudden burst of music, after all, would most certainly wake up the patients. As time passed, and the shaking of the windows grew more violent, Shad slowly raised the volume, until it was bordering too loud to play for sleeping people. Luckily, it seemed that they were deep sleepers, if the snoring from their rooms meant anything. Shad thought that it would be best to check in on a treatment for the snoring later. It can't be good for them.

Link had long since fallen asleep by the time the clock marked the beginning of Christmas day, and Shad continued to stay awake, leaning back in his chair, studying the outside world as snow now filtered down to the surface. He saw Link's reflection on the face of the glass, and with a sigh, Shad stood up and walked over to the lad. He lifted him up careful, trying not to disturb his slumber, and carried him over to an empty hospital bed, tucking him in.

Link was honestly something different. If Shad didn't know any better, he'd say Santa dropped him off as Shad's Christmas present, even though he didn't celebrate Christmas. (Not that he disliked the holiday. If anything, it was rather beautiful to observe.) Link seemed to be someone Shad couldn't help but admire, and it was easy to talk with him. Well, talk _to_ him. He was attentive, imaginative, a tad mysterious, admittedly, and all in all, he seemed to really brighten Shad's mood by simply being there. He barely even knew the man. All he knew was that he was friendly, mute, and somewhat of a dreamer. Of course, he knew the man's age and medical information but honestly that wasn't much of something to base a friendship off of, was it?

Shad sighed and stood up, about to the leave room, but stopped and looked back over. He had taken off Link's boots to get him under the covers, but forgot the gloves. With another sigh, he quickly slips them off and places them on the table by the sink, moving to tuck Links hands under the thick blanket to keep them from freezing off. The heater wasn't nearly strong enough in this damned clinic, honestly.

As Shad moved the tuck in the man's left hand, he realised rather quickly the yellow triangle that seemed to ever so slightly radiate, like a celestial being. The doctor's pulse rose slightly, remembering reading those old legends that dated back a thousand of years ago. About a hero of legends, bearing the triforce of courage, clad in green. A hero who could transform into a blue-eyed beast. A hero who trekked the volcanic land, swam into the deepest parts of the shimmering lake, braved the blizzards of the high mountains, and, as not only the legend but his father had told him, reached the heavens and walked amongst the beings of the sky.

Shad inspected the hand for a moment, pulse further rising as he realised that it was, in no possible way, a tattoo. It was very real, and it was most certainly glowing within this dark room. And now that Shad thought about it, Link did have somewhat of a wolfish smile, didn't he? And the way he flaps his hands when excited, it did, in fact, remind him of a dog wagging it's tail...

And he most certainly had blue eyes. Beautiful ones, at that, easily recognisable. And green very much suited him. He was already wearing green overalls.

Honestly, he couldn't seriously believe this, could he? It was much too surreal, too... He can't possibly be confusing fantasy with reality. But frankly, it was the mark of courage, and it was quite literally _glowing in the dark._ He couldn't overlook that. How could he possibly deny this...?

...

Great. Just perfect. It just _had_ to be the guy he has a slight crush on. Isn't this just dandy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took a while. I didn't know I would have a packed schedule due to the holidays. Whoops.**

 **I'll proofread this later...**

* * *

Shad hadn't slept at all that night. He was rather alarmed, if anything. Could he seriously accept the fact that Link, the young, silent man who worked as a farmer and was clumsy enough to get distracted and gash himself in the face, was the hero of legends? Could he seriously accept the fact that such stories were even real? It's not as if anyone from a thousand years ago is alive today, no one can confirm that such stories were true. But then again, those stories were extremely popular throughout all cultures within the Kingdom of Hyrule, weren't they? The Zora had there own stories, as well as the Goron, the Gerudo, the Kokiri... It was rather popular. And such popular stories usually meant that they came from some sort of truth, correct?

Ugh. Honestly! Look at him! A doctor, thinking like some sort of _archeologist_? It's not like he could go around digging up lost ruins, trying to prove these stories to be true. In the end, there's no saying whether or not those stories were based of real life or fiction. He wasn't some technological genius either, he couldn't possibly build a time machine.

But one thing he knew for sure was that despite all of this, he would be bothered by that damned mark until he did something about it.

Maybe he could ask Link? Surely the old boy would give him a simple answer. Then again, maybe Link wasn't particularly ready to go around showing off that mark... There's the possibility that he wouldn't want to talk about— er, write about it. And to be quite honest, although Link seemed to have poured his heart out to Shad about his interest in the sky, that didn't make him any less mysterious. His excuse over how he had gotten that gash was still rather... well, sketchy. Not to mention that Shad had no idea how Link had a part of his tongue cut off in the first place. Being a doctor, Shad isn't particular fazed by the gruesome sight, so he hadn't really acted surprised or asked about it. Especially after the horrible things he's seen in the city. But when you really think about it, why would someone cut off another person's tongue? Did someone attack Link? Was it some sort of freak accident? Had Link been in some suspicious business previously?

Shad took a moment to crawl out of his thoughts, realising that the blue light within the room grew slightly lighter. The sun was about to rise over the horizon, it seems. Which meant it was maybe 5:30, now. He stood up from the hall and went to the waiting room, finding the front door had been sealed in from the snow fall, rising high enough to reach to Shad's chin. He had predicted this, sadly. It's too early, now, but he'll have to call a truck later to clear out the front. A pity, Shad was sure the families were going to visit again to meet the patients. Maybe their houses were sealed, too... And did Link, by any chance, have some family of his own to get back to?

There was a tap to the doctor's shoulder, and he jumped in surprise, turning on his heel and grasping his chest.

"Oh!... Oh, Link. It's just you. You scared me out of my wits."

The man smiled and held a hand over his mouth. He did look apologetic, but also a bit amused, and Shad gave him a friendly punch to the arm for that. They chuckled.

"It's very early, you know... And we stayed up rather late last night. Are you sure you got enough sleep? You should probably take another hour or so to get some rest."

Link shrugged, seemingly wide awake and not too bothered. Shad wondered for a moment if the lad was used to not getting enough sleep. That would be dangerous towards his health. He didn't seem to have any dark circles or anything, however...

"In any case, good morning."

Link smiled and took a paper from his pocket, holding it over his mouth.

" **Good morning, doctor.** "

Shad smiled and nodded, looking back towards the sealed glass door.

"Well, as you can obviously see, we won't be leaving any time soon. And I'm sure the patients are still asleep, for the time being. I suppose we're alone, again. You have any more interesting stories for me?"

Link smiled brightly and gave a jabbed to the other's arm, earning a playful "ow" and a jab to the ribs himself. Laughing, he went over to the receptionist desk, picking up the notepad he left there, and quickly scribbled down his thoughts, which strangely took longer than usual, although his hand moved just as rapidly. He folded it into a paper plane once he finished and threw it at Shad, who caught it rather skilfully. Ah, the doctor remembered quite clearly how he used to communicate with his friends in high school. He wonders how he never got caught doing this... Opening it up, the doctor smiled and quirked an eyebrow at the lad. It wasn't words, but a drawing. A very well-made quick sketch of a castle, next to a waterfall, on a hunk of earth suspended in the sky.

"You draw as well?"

Link nodded and threw the notepad over, and Shad struggled for a moment or two to catch it with one hand, so he wouldn't crumble the drawing. Ah, so this was going to be the game that they played until the door was cleared enough? Well, he can't really say he was complaining. It sounded fun, but... Link was still quite the puzzle to him. So easy to be around, easy to talk to, goof around with, daydream with... And yet he still finds himself barely knowing a single thing about him.

Shad looked to the side for a moment, thinking about what he should draw, but found that he couldn't think of anything. Instead, he wrote down a question.

" **Link, could you tell me a bit about yourself?** "

He folded the paper into a plane and threw it over, suddenly realising that Link had watched his hand very carefully. He couldn't... read what he was writing, could he? From over there? It wasn't as if the paper was visible, but Link seemed to know what Shad had written down before he even opened the plane, judging by the look on his face. It was strange, not a frown, but unlike any of the expressions he's seen before.

Shad tossed the notepad, and Link quickly went to work, throwing a paper plane back.

" **I could.** "

Shad snorted and looked up at the man, who was looking to the side and smiling as if he were innocent. Apparently he wanted to screw around with the doctor, is seems. The tossed the notepad without looking, and it fell nicely into Shad's hand. He quickly threw a plane in reply.

" **Allow me to rephrase that, sir Snarksalot. May you tell me a bit about yourself?** "

Link caught the notepad, but didn't write something down right away. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, leaning from side to side and looking up towards the ceiling, then after a minute or two, he sent a plane over.

" **Well, I don't really know much about you either, so... What's that game? Twenty questions?** "

Ah. Well, that made sense, Shad supposed. He hadn't really thought that Link didn't know him very well. Actually, it was strange... Link, in fact, didn't know him a single bit other than the fact that he was a doctor. Or, rather, _the_ doctor of this village. And even then, he wasn't entirely sure if Link knew he was the only doctor. The lad had simply waltzed in and decided to have a friendly chat with him. Not only that, but in the middle of the night, as well. Why had he done that for Shad in particular, though? Didn't make much sense...

"Alright, then, Link. Twenty questions. But let's stop with the paper planes, it's not too good to waste paper."

Link nodded and took a seat, the same one from last night, and Shad went over to sit beside him. Link smiled at Shad, indicating that the doctor would go first.

"Alright, then... Where were you before you came back to this village?"

Link smiled and quickly wrote his answer down, handing it over.

" **I travelled, so I wasn't in any one place. I left a few years back because my grandma died, and it was a little much. I'm better, now, though, and I'm ready to bring her farm back up.** "

Shad nodded, wondering who Link's grandma could have been. He remembered when he first came to the village that many of the villagers would talk about a woman named Arowna, and rather sadly at that, as if she died. They mentioned it to him a lot, saying that they're glad they finally have a capable doctor on the ready. Shad had assumed she died because the doctor from the city couldn't make it on time...

"Well, I'm sure she's proud of you, right now. And travelling sounds like something that makes sense. That's probably the reason why your imagination is so vast. You must have seen many great things, hm... Maybe I should do some travelling, if we get another doctor to take my place for a while. It would be a nice vacation idea."

Link nodded and smiled, then wrote down his question.

" **Why did you come to this village?** "

Ah, the same question, hm?

"The city is too crowded for me. It was disaster after disaster, and every doctor was in such a rush in those big hospitals, even though we had enough to take care of everyone. And the more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea of helping out a small village was to me. I mean, it takes a while to bring in a doctor from the city to the village, for one, so I was sure it would be pleasant to open up a clinic here. Not to mention it gives medical students around these areas to actually have a professional around. Internships, you see? It's good for their applications, and it gives them a better chance of getting into those prestigious schools, like UHK. Not only that, but it's much more peaceful... You get to make friends with everyone easily, which makes the environment within the clinic much more pleasant for the patients. I remember as a kid I once visited a small clinic while visiting my father's camp, and the doctor made me feel much more secure than the ones at the city... Because he didn't seem in a hurry, or annoyed, and he was very willing to become friends with everyone who entered."

Shad chuckled.

"Here's a little secret; I purposely got myself hurt three times after that just to see the doctor. I wouldn't advise doing that, however. He told me I could visit him any time after the third time, even if I'm not hurt. On the second time, my dad's friend, who was also a fighter pilot, came in because the stitches on his leg reopened. Or, more specifically, the stump of what was left of his leg."

Link made a face that seemed in between clearly interested and a bit grossed out by the thought. Shad laughed. Well, nasty scars were always hard to think about for most people. It was funny, though, considering Link had a nasty cut himself.

"The doctor was so friendly with the pilot. It was as if they've been friends for years. They talked as if it were nothing, and I secretly watched the doctor replace the stitches from the doorway. I believe that was the day I decided I would become a doctor. Not only that..."

Shad leaned in a little closer, cupping a hand over his mouth as if there were other people in the room, trying to eavesdrop.

"I learned that the doctor and the pilot met only three days prior."

Link smiled, eyes widening in shock. He was a great listener, and even though Shad was very sure he was rambling, he felt like there was no need to be ashamed in doing so.

"Alright, then. My turn, correct? How long have you been a farmer? I mean, we met only yesterday, but I wasn't sure if you've been here for a while or not. The only reason we met was because of the injury you had gotten. I'll need to check that later, by the way."

Link nodded, gently running a finger over his bandage for a moment, before reaching his hand back down to write his answer. After a minute or two, he held it up, answer much longer than his previous ones.

" **I've been here for a few weeks, but I spent most of my time cleaning up the farm the first week. The fields were a mess. The second week I had to start buying new tools, because my grandma's old ones were pretty banged up, especially after the first week. I ordered them, and they only came in this week. I passed by you clinic and realised it was knew, and when I was looking... I tripped on that big stone by the fence, and my sheers went to say hello to my cheek. Somewhat convenient, I guess, since I'm right in front of a clinic. Sort of ironic, too. I left the tools outside while you patched up my cheek, then took them home afterwards.** "

Well, that whole "falling down" story didn't sound too fake anymore. Shad has actually seen many people trip on that rock outside. The thing about it is that no one could move it out of the way, for some reason. It apparently was stuck very far into the ground, and it would take quite a lot to remove it. It was like the tip of a huge boulder just barely sticking up into the surface. Rather bothersome, really. And, yes, Link was correct. It was ironic. It hurt many people, and many people walked into the clinic because of it.

"Sorry about that, old boy... If I could remove the darn thing, I would."

Link laughed and wrote down a reply.

" **I know. I think that thing has been there since I was a kid, actually. It stuck out further back then, though. Me and my brother used to sit on it.** "

Shad raised an eyebrow.

"You have a brother?"

Link replied, quickly flashing it to the other, then went back to writing.

" **Not your turn.** "

Shad chuckled and waited for Link to finish his next question.

" **May you tell me a bit more about your dad, if that's okay?** "

Well, it was a bit of an unexpected question, but Shad didn't see any harm in it. Still, it was... maybe a bit strange? Shad wasn't completely sure if this was a natural question that people ask sometimes, considering he's never heard it before. Maybe it could be unusual, but Link seemed sort of like an unusual fellow anyways.

"I have no objections. Being a fighter pilot in the middle of the Five Years War, my father was gone for a good portion of my childhood. That isn't to say that he was never there for me. He came back home every day, usually late at night, and told me about his stories and his victories. Although, he never glorified it. He made sure to remind me every day that death was not the preferred route in a war. The only reason people fight them is to stop the fighting, isn't that right?"

Link nodded.

"Well, aside from his battle stories, and how the war was going along in our favour, he talked to me a lot about how beautiful the sky was. He fought for the royal family bravely and loyally, but his true fighting spirit came from how much he dearly wished the sky wasn't part of a war zone. He told me he became a fighter pilot so that he can feel peace in the clouds, while at the same time try his best to end the war as soon as possible. Before he became a pilot, he still worked under the royal family, but believe it or not, he was actually a butler. Haha, don't look _too_ surprised, I did say he was faithful to the royal family."

Link chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"In any case, as a butler, he had access to the royal library as well, and he found many old books that talked about ancient sky beings that were closer to the gods than we were. My father told me we wasn't necessarily sure if that meant that they were closer to them in a genetical sense, or in a locational sense. They did, after all, live in the clouds, up in the heavens. It had become an obsession for him, and he studied them rather passionately. It was more than a hobby. It worried me for a while, but in all truth, I grew a large fascination as well. I lost interest after he died, however. The last year of the war, when I was 14, his plane crashed into the lake after taking a bad hit. The Zora quickly salvaged all of the parts of the plane, but weren't able to find my father, or the seat. There's a possibility he ejected while the plane was upside-down in the water, and ended up shooting himself deep into that abyss at the bottom... In the end, he drowned. It's still painful, but it was years ago, and I've learned to move on."

Link nodded slowly, going down to write. Shad leaned over to read as he jot down.

" **Do you think—** "

The door to the waiting room opened, revealing a woman in crutches, not really showing any particular emotion on her face, but clearly upset by the image of a snowed in glass door.

"This is a joke, yeah?"

"Ah, Ashei, you really shouldn't be up and about yet. It's rather early, too."

"I slept well and I can take care of myself. There's no problem if you already put a cast on my leg, yeah?"

Shad gave her a hard glare, crossing his arms.

"You were knocked out by the pain and your crutches aren't even the correct size. Not to mention your bone nearly punctured an extremely important artery. Don't argue with me, young lady."

"I'm older than you."

"You're still young."

Link slapped Shad's arm, quickly jotting down a complaint.

" **Why do you call me old boy, then?!** "

Oh goodness, he did have a point.

"Er, well, that's just how I talk..."

That didn't sound like a good enough excuse, not even to his own ears. Link's face showed clear disapproval as well, and Ashei ever so slightly smirked at the sight of Shad's impending doom.

"Well, you seem busy, so I'll be going back to my room for now. By the way, it isn't that early anymore. It's 7:30. You two much have been talking for a while."

"7:30 is still pretty early."

"Maybe to you city folk. This village consists of farmers, if you haven't forgotten. We get up at the crack of dawn, right at the sound of a cucco. Which is between 6:30 to 7:00."

Okay, damn, that's another good comment he can't seem to argue with.

"What sort of Christmas consists of people being completely against me?!"

"This one!"

* * *

Ashei left shortly afterwards, and after a bit of apologising to Link, and a phone call to clear out the snow, the two resumed their game. The questions seemed to stop being too well-thought out, now about things such as "What's your favourite food," or "Do you like horses?" These became easy to answer, until the last two questions. It was Shad's turn once again, and this time, he believed he really needed answers. Link's hand was gloved once more, he had probably put it back on when he woke up. But both he and Link knew that he saw the mark. Hell, he could still see it imprinted right through it, as if it would mark any glove Link would put on, as if branding it. Proving it belonged to the silent farmer.

"Link, about that mark on your hand..."

Link didn't seemed fazed by this question. He had expected it, it seemed, and that simply made Shad all the more nervous for asking about it.

"Is it, um... Is it really what I think it is?"

Link nodded simply, looking down at the notepad. He was at a loss over what to write. Surely Shad was looking for an explanation of some sort, which he was, but how was Link going to explain something he himself doesn't fully understand? Most of the stories had been erased over time, anyways, and in all honestly, it just appeared suddenly the day he turned 17. There was no ceremony, no big uproar, no wise monk or sage to tell him what he needs to do, or what exactly was going on... Or what may happen in the future...

Well, there was one story he could tell, he supposed.

Shad leaned over as Link began furiously writing, his handwriting a little sloppier than usual and his pace much too fast for Shad to keep up with very well.

" **I was 18 when a part of my tongue was cut off.** "

Shad wondered what this had to do with anything, but he knew he'd see soon enough.

" **This mark just appeared one day, a year before. I knew what it was, but I didn't know what to do about it. I was at a complete loss. I didn't tell anyone about it, but one day, when I took a visit to the city to get some supplies for my grandma, I got... kidnapped, I guess? These people knew about it. And apparently they thought I knew something about it too. They tried to get information about me, threatened to disable my speech, eyesight, hearing... Put me in front of a small notepad after they took a part of my tongue. It was a few hours later of yelling and threats and the such, and when they realised I was clueless, they attempted to kill me.** "

Shad frowned. In other words, these bastards tortured him for information he didn't have. That was a nasty way to go about anything, considered a war crime, his father would say. But this couldn't possibly be about the Five Years War, could it? It's still considered a very recent battle, and the scars it left on the kingdom are fresh in the minds of nearly everyone. The Desert Kingdom lost, and that was the end of it. But that wasn't to say they won't rise up again...

" **I don't know what exactly happened afterwards. Everything was white for a long time. I heard yelling, running, angry shouts. The second it completely died down, everything went black. I woke up in a hospital bed, wrapped head to toe in bandages. My mouth was numb, and I couldn't tell if there was anything in it or not. I just knew that when the numbness wore off, it was going to hurt. In the end, my grandma never got those supplies. My brother visited me, but my grandma had to stay and watch the farm. She wrote letters... I didn't tell her I was kidnapped. I told her some drunks got a little too... well, drunk.** "

Well, Shad most certainly wouldn't want to worry any grandmother of his either, but that seemed a little much. Link was tortured, and that probably required him to tell someone about it. Especially his family.

"And your brother?"

" **He knew before I could lie to him.** "

Shad nodded. The doctors who took Link in might have known the story and told his brother once he entered the hospital.

"Other than that, nothing regarding the mark has happened, huh?"

Link sighed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. It must be rather stressful, knowing the stories yet never knowing when your own is going to start. If it's going to start at all. It would most certainly suck if nothing ever happens yet Link remains prepared for danger throughout the rest of his entire life. Shad can somewhat understand how tired Link must be, even if it has only been a few years after the first incident.

A few minutes passed, and Link began writing again.

" **Last question's mine, right?** "

"Indeed, it is."

Link nodded and wrote it down.

" **Do you think there's a possibility your dad's alive?** "

Shad gave the other an incredulous look.

"Link, he... He drowned. And even if he did eject before the plane crashed into the lake, don't you think that if he lived, he would have come home, or back to his base? The camp was rather close to Lake Hylia in the first place."

Link shook his head, jotting down quickly.

" **Who's to say it's impossible to survive under the lake?** "

That made Shad's heart skip a beat. It was as if Link knew something he didn't, something about the bottom of that lake. Zora didn't even dare to swim into the abyss, too many stories about those who were never able to come back. But, if Link really was who he thought he was... Could there really be a possibility? Could that be what he meant when he talked about travelling after his grandmother's death?

"What exactly do you mean?"

Link wrote furiously now, and as Shad read, he began to realise that Link most definitely had a fair knowledge of the Lake. If anything, it seems as if the lad himself was an archeologist. Definitely sounded more like one than Shad did previously.

" **Have you ever heard of the ruins of the Lakebed Temple? It's said to have disappeared a thousand years ago. Evidence of it's existence are still everywhere... Furthermore, past texts says that it was designed above water before being hastily lowered into the lake. In other words, there's a large possibility that there were many air-filled rooms within it. And if there's plant life within it, the air wouldn't run out. And remember, it just suddenly disappeared a thousand years ago. Not many people know about that, though, since it's not regularly taught or talked about... Barely in any books. But do you know what is talked about commonly?** "

Dear lord, this man couldn't be serious.

" **The abyss. Everyone knows the story of the abyss that suddenly appeared in ancient texts. It was much more written about than the Lakebed Temple, and all texts just say that it simply appeared out of nowhere. During the time, however, the Zora were battling a group away from the lake, which lasted generations, which means they wouldn't be able to tell you exactly what happened either. In other words—** "

"The temple sank. You're saying the temple sank far deeper into the lake, into an abyss which was previously covered by the Lakebed Temple. Oh my goodness."

Link nodded, smiling.

Shad looked away from the notepad after a minute or two of rereading it, staring at the snow-covered glass in shock. Link really was something else. And probably the best gift he's ever gotten for Christmas, if he were to be quite honest with himself.

Dear _lord_ , what a gift...


	3. Note

**I should probably mention, since there is apparently someone following this story, that I more often don't update my chapter stories than I do. I tend to lose interest very quickly, which is how some of my one-shots don't even make it online. If I ever do, in fact, update a story, there's a high possibility that there's going to be long gaps in between each update. Sorry. I'm not saying I've lost interest in this story completely, but I am saying that the possibility is there, and that it's probably going to take me a while to actually update this story. (So long as I keep interest, I'll keep working on this. However, life seems to enjoy getting in the way of the good things. And by life I mean school, my poor health, and the bad choices I make. Such as apparently picking a medication that makes me incredibly sick.)**

 **In any case, apologies. But this is going to be on hold for a while. I'll delete this and add the next chapter if I ever finish it, and if I decide I no longer find this story appealing, I'll instead delete this and post a note about my disinterest and lack of will to continue it. Just a warning.**


End file.
